Dust Settles
by StarCrossdSparrow
Summary: Veronica deals with the aftermath of discovering the rapist. Angsty oneshot. 3x09 spoilers.


Title: Dust Settles  
Author: StarCrossdSparrow  
Characters: Veronica, Lamb, Logan, Sacks  
Rating: T  
Chapter: 1/1  
Word Count: 940  
Disclaimer: RT is the master of all things "Veronica Mars." I'll put everyone back when I'm done, so please don't sue.  
Spoilers: 3x09 "Spit and Eggs"  
Summary: Veronica deals with the aftermath of discovering the rapist. Angsty oneshot.  
Author's Note: This guy is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine.

**XxXxXxX**

Veronica swiped at her eyes. They were beyond dry. She wanted to pluck them out and stick them in one of those ball washers she'd once seen on a golf course.

Of course, the man across the table probably thought she was wiping away a tear. It killed her that instead of the sneer that such a thought should have elicited from Lamb, he looked ready to offer her a Kleenex. Veronica shifted uncomfortably in the metal chair.

"So, you were in the closet," Lamb prodded. His voice was too soft. He sounded like he was afraid that one hard-edged word would cut her.

She tried to contain the eye roll, but it happened even without the proper lubrication. "Yeah. Closet. Hair. Drugged. Dragged. We've been through it." Veronica took the tone of voice she'd wanted to hear from Lamb and trebled it.

He still didn't react to her anger. "I know. I just want to be clear for when we go to trial." Lamb sat back in his own metal chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Hayes' father is appellate court judge. Did you know that?"

Veronica crossed her arms over her chest. "No. Never came up while he was trying to rape that girl."

Lamb sighed and fixed Veronica with a long look. "What in the hell, Veronica? Can't you just step down from your thunderhead for a minute and take it easy.? I'm trying to be the good cop for once."

"Yeah, 'cause the bad guys are in jail," she snorted. "And, for once, you can't accuse me of the crime."

"No thanks to you, Mars." Lamb's comment lacked it's typical sharpness, but didn't fail to slice through Veronica. He'd just uttered the very thing that was keeping her up at night.

She leaped to her feet. "It's not my fault that you need a nineteen-year-old college girl to do your goddamn job. Maybe if you-"

"Sit down before I put you back in that chair myself." Lamb cut across her tirade with his dangerously quiet order.

Veronica was so dumbfounded when he didn't retaliate with his own shout, she fell back into the seat.

Lamb's tone was hushed, but exasperation was showing around the frayed edges of his stoic act. "I'm not blaming you. But you need to learn to just stay out of things, Veronica. You were lucky this time. Can't you just let _me_ do the whole serve and protect thing? Can't you just be a normal girl?"

Veronica squeezed her eyes shut before opening them and focusing on the wall clock over the sheriff's left shoulder. "You don't act fast enough for me. Every girl that gets raped on your watch, well, we all know how you treat them."

Lamb opened his mouth to protest but she cut across him, "Are we done here?"

He shut his mouth and nodded sharply. "Sacks will take you back to your boyfriend."

Veronica didn't even bother to correct him as she left the grim interrogation room. Sacks was waiting for her, his blank expression further softened by concern. Veronica wondered if there was some sort of memorandum floating around.

Re: Veronica Mars Subj: Treat with kid gloves until further notice.

Sacks led her to the holding cell. Logan was leaning against the windowsill, concentrating on looking bored. His left hand was bandaged across the knuckles and his right eye was blackened. He looked dangerous in the shadowy cell. Veronica nearly crumbled when he didn't smile at her.

Logan moved with an arrogant grace, natural only to the very wealthy. "Later, Deputy. It's been a pleasure."

Sacks chuckled and nodded. "As usual."

Logan matched his grin as though he and the deputy shared some private joke. When he looked down at Veronica, his smile faded. "Dick too busy readying the welcome home bash?"

"A simple thanks would have done."

"Thanks."

The word left Veronica cold and wanting as they walked toward the exit. Once outside, Logan blinked dramatically at the bright Neptune sunshine. "Ah, life on the outside. How shall I ever adjust?"

"I could take you to a halfway house. They'll give you five hundred bucks and a gently used suit. You can play the part of the down on his luck, wide-eyed, industrious member of the proletariat. I'm sure someone will take a chance on you."

Logan snorted as he climbed into the Saturn. "Not likely. Besides, I'm really into the wealthy playboy angle. And my newfound freedom is begging to be taken for a test drive."

Veronica nearly choked on her next breath. His comment hit her hard. It was even worse than the one Lamb had lobbed her way.

Logan caught her silence. "I meant from jail," he mumbled. "Why did you come to get me? Cliff posted my bail. I figured-"

"Lamb wanted me for further questioning. He said he wants the case airtight. Apparently Mercer's dad is a judge."

Logan nodded. "Yeah."

They rode the rest of the way to the Grand in silence.

As she swung up the door, Logan opened his door. He was apparently eager for an escape. "So, uh, thanks. I'll see you."

Veronica pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded. "Yeah. See you."

Logan hesitated for the barest of moments. A lesser detective probably wouldn't have noticed. When he shut the door with a gentle snick and disappeared though the revolving doors, Veronica wished she hadn't noticed.

As Veronica drove back to her apartment, she remembered why her eyes were so dry. She'd shed every tear she had after Logan had kissed her goodbye for the last time.

**XxXxXxX**

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